The present invention relates in general to combination lock structure particularly suitable for locking the zippers of luggage and the like and suitable for providing inexpensive and reliable combination shackle padlocks and similar applications, and more particularly to combination lock structure having a plurality of multiple combination dial members arranged along parallel axes of rotation to be set to combinations of dial numbers for releasing the lock, and having hubs with relieved portions positionable when the proper combination is dialed to accommodate movement of a fence plate relative to a bolt member in a direction transverse to the direction of bolt movement necessary to release the bolt member to permit unlocking movement of the bolt member. The bolt member may have an end formation adapting it to couple about a loop hinged on a zipper slide member or the bolt may be coupled to a leg of a lock shackle. In either application, movement of the bolt to extended position relative to the lock housing to release it from the zipper slide loop or to achieve movement of the shackle to unlocking position is permitted when the fence plate is shifted to release position relative to the dial assemblies.
While combination locks have been used for many years in a wide variety of locking applications, such combination locks for the most part have been of relatively complex and expensive construction, usually involving a plurality of peripherally gated tumbler wheels operated from a single dial, a fence lever and fence bar pivoted to a slideable bolt member and controlled by the peripherally gated tumbler wheels and a specially shaped driving cam, and the tumbler wheels are usually of complex construction so as to prevent changing of the combination of the tumbler wheels. The present invention is concerned with a significantly simplified type of combination lock mechanism suitable for less costly locking applications, such as locking the zipper slide member of zipper type luggage cases, locking storage boxes with valuables and similar enclosures having a hasp and staple type of mechanism for securing the lid and the tray or body portion in closed position, and similar applications, wherein a plurality of dial members are adapted to be angularly positioned to set them to a combination of dial numbers and are associated with a movable fence mechanism and a reciprocative elongated bolt plate member or the like movable between relatively retracted and extended positions with respect to a lock housing.
An object of the present invention, therefore, is the provision of a novel combination lock construction applicable to a wide variety of installation conditions, which is relatively simple in construction and is particularly adapted for use on zipper type luggage receptacles and devices having a hasp and staple type of closure mechanism for securing relatively movable separable container sections in closed condition.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novel combination construction which can be relatively inexpensively manufactured and wherein a plurality of adjustable dial members are rotatably supported in side-by-side relation on a housing enclosing a fence plate movable back and forth in one direction radially of the dial members and co-active with a bolt plate reciprocatively movable between latching and unlatching position along an axis perpendicular to the axis of movement of the fence mechanism and having a coupling formation on one end thereof to be coupled to the item to be locked.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a combination lock construction as described in the immediately preceding paragraph, wherein the coupling formation on the end of the bolt member is shaped to be exposed relative to the lock casing when the bolt member is in released position to couple and decouple the same with a zipper fastening loop, or is provided with means swingably supporting one leg of a shackle thereon to position the shackle at an outer release position when the bolt plate is in unlocking condition for coupling and decoupling the shackle relative to a hasp or similar co-operative structure.
Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjuntion with the accompanying drawings illustrating preferred embodiments of the invention.